Can Death Keep Her Away?
by RishiGenki
Summary: On the fifth anniversary of Shikamaru’s sister, Keiko’s, death, a bloodridden girl appears at the Nara doorstep…..literally. Could this girl be….? Sequel to Why Shikamaru Is Lazy. Implied ShikaIno. R&R. COMPLETE.
1. The Strange Girl

No Title Yet

(But it's the sequel to Why Shikamaru Is Lazy.)

**A/N: Hola! Rishi's here again……XD Due to the fact that 10 peoples favorite-d Why Shikamaru Is Lazy, Rishi's going to do a sequel! Whooo… (claps) I've had this idea for awhile…. I've got major writer's block, though…..Gah. Anyway, hope you enjoy! And please review!**

Summary: On the fifth anniversary of Shikamaru's sister, Keiko's, death, a blood-ridden girl appears at the Nara doorstep…..literally. Could this girl be….? Sequel to Why Shikamaru Is Lazy. Implied ShikaIno.

----------------------------------------------……..FINETO!!!--------------------------------------------------

Shikamaru Nara lay in bed lazily. _It's been five years……_ He thought. _Keiko-nee-chan…..Sis….._

"Shikamaru!" yelled Shikamaru's mother, Tsukiko. "Come down for lunch! It's almost noon!"

"Not hungry!!!" Shikamaru yelled back.

"What did you say, young man?! Don't you dare talk back!!!"

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm coming, I'm coming! …..Yeesh." Shikamaru sat up, throwing the covers off his bed. He stood up, holding his head. "Doesn't she remember that today's….?" With that, he stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen. "Morning, mom."

Tsukiko smiled gently, her eyes red. "Good morning. Please sit at the table. I'll be there in a minute."

Shikamaru nodded. He sat at the table, where his father sat patiently. "Morning." Shikaku said quietly. "I took the day off from missions…..Y'know….."

Shikamaru nodded. He understood that his father wished to be left alone. With that, he sat at the table.

A few minutes later, Tsukiko placed sausage and toast on the table and sat down. The three ate quietly, no words being spoken. They didn't need words. They all knew what everyone was thinking.

Shikaku cleared his throat. "It's been five years." He said awkwardly, rubbing his temples.

Shikamaru stood up, his food untouched. "I'll be leaving now." He said, pushing his plate away.

"Shikamaru…..Your food…" Tsukiko trailed off.

"Not hungry." With that, Shikamaru went out the door, slamming it behind him.

Tsukiko turned to Shikaku. "It really has been five years……"

Shikaku nodded. "Shikamaru…..Is so strong……"

---------------------------------………………..WRITERS BLOCK-----------------------------------------------

Shikamaru looked at the clouds above him in the field. Not many were out. It was clear, blue sky. He sighed. _Keiko-nee-chan…_ Memories flashed before him. _You were always there….Why not now? Why did you have to leave me behind and die?_

Shikamaru turned around when he heard a noise. "I know you're there. Come out." He narrowed his eyes. _A ninja! And of all days……_

"Well? I'm waiting…."

Slowly, a tall girl with jet-black hair cut short and dazed, brown eyes came out of the bushes. Her clothes were torn and bloodied. She fell, and only Shikamaru caught her.

_She's hurt…..And she has a fever!_ Shikamaru thought. He looked to where the girl was standing before, only to see a trail of blood that outstretched past the trees. Shikamaru's eyes widened. _I'd say that trail is at least 300 meters……._

Shikamaru picked up the girl. _I'll have to take her to the hospital._ With that, he jumped off to the hospital. _I pray that Tsunade-sama is there….._

----------------------------------------GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-------------------------------------------

Shikamaru stood outside the girl's hospital room. "How is she?" he asked a nurse.

The nurse looked inside. "She's very injured. She also lost her voice, but Tsunade-sama said it will be back within two weeks…Are you her younger brother?"

Shikamaru flinched. "No." He said stiffly. "No, my sister's dead." With that, he walked off.

"Oi…..Shikamaru?" Tsunade's voice reached Shikamaru as he turned. "You found that girl, correct?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Right….Until she can take care of herself, I leave you in charge of her."

Shikamaru's head whipped to where the Hokage stood. "What….?!"

"You were the one who found her."

"Right….." Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. Him, take care of this girl….?! How would he explain this to his parents…..?!

"I've already told your parents of your mission. The girl is fine now—she just needs to get her voice back sooner or later. Leave."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." He walked into the girl's room. "Hey. You. Come with me, will you?"

The girl looked up. She had large, brown eyes. She nodded without a word.

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

**BECAUSE I HAVE WRITERS BLOCK**.

**A/N: Hola! Rishi finished the first chapter…..Sorta. Rishi's got writers block, but is doing her best! WHOO!!!!!!!! So who is this girl? Could she be Shikamaru's sister? Could she???? Only I know! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! XD**


	2. Yoshino Remembers

**Can Death Keep Her Away?**

**Chapter two.**

**A/N: Thanks' to WeHoldTheseTruths for telling me Shikamaru's mom's real name:) Here's Chapter Two!**

Yoshino turned to the door. "Welcome back, Shi—" she then noticed the girl behind her son. "K-Keiko……?!"

"No." Shikamaru said. "This isn't Keiko. I found this girl in the field all bloody and Tsunade-sama forced me to take care of her until her voice came back. So troublesome….."

"But she could be….."

"No. The Keiko I knew would never cut her hair."

Yoshino smiled quietly as she looked at the short-haired girl. "Right." She turned around and continued to whittle at the potatoes she was making for dinner.

Shikamaru led the girl into the living room. "You can sleep here." He said, pointing to the couch. "And only until you get your voice back."

The girl nodded. She sat on the couch, glancing out the window.

"I'm going up into my room!" Shikamaru called to his mother.

"Alright!" Yoshino called back.

Shikamaru sighed as he went upstairs. _So troublesome….._

After a few minutes, the girl walked into the kitchen. She tapped Yoshino on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Yoshino turned to the girl.

The girl held up a potato.

"You want to help?"

The girl nodded.

"Alright."

As they worked, Yoshino became engulfed in memories.

"_Mom, I wanna help make the potatoes!" yelled Keiko, running into the room. "Can I? Plleeeeease???" _

"_All right then." Yoshino said, smiling._

_After a few minutes of potato-whittling, Keiko shouted in pain._

"_Ooooow!!!!"_

_Yoshino turned to Keiko. She had cut her thumb._

"_Let me get a bandage for that." Yoshino said. "I'll be right back."_

Yoshino sighed. She turned towards the girl and smiled. "You remind me of my daughter…."

The girl gave a little grin…..Before she cut her thumb.

"!!!" the girl held her thumb in pain.

"Oh….! I'll get a bandage for that….." Yoshino said, running into the other room to get bandages. Only when she looked in the mirror did she realize she was crying.

**TO BE CONTINUED…..**

**I HAVE WRITERS BLOCK AGAIN. WHOO.**

**A/N: So! What could this girl be…? Could she be Keiko? Please review!**


	3. Discovery

**Chapter Three of Can Death Keep Her Away?**

**A/N: Hola everyone! Rishi's doing her best with Chapter Three! Rishi's can't promise she won't get writers block again….ON WITH THE STORY**!!!

Yoshino wiped her eyes and brought the bandages into the other room to find the girl gone. Yoshino gasped. "She's gone!" she exclaimed. She franticly looked through the first floor of the house, but with no avail. Yoshino then turned to the stairway. _She must be upstairs…But the only things up there are Shikamaru and Keiko's rooms……._

**---------UPSTAIRS!!!!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Shikamaru heard someone coming up the stairs. He shrugged it off and turned on his bed. "Whatever…" he mumbled.

He then heard a door opening. He turned around, but his door wasn't open. He ran to the door, opened it and ran to Keiko's room. The door was open.

_That door was locked! _Shikamaru thought angrily. He went into the room, something he hadn't done in years.

The room was dusty, and had many posters of ninja. Shikamaru had left it the way Keiko had it when she died.

There stood the girl, looking over the room. Her face gave no expression.

"GET OUT!" Shikamaru yelled. "GET OUT! YOU AREN'T ALLOWED IN HERE!"

The girl stepped back a little.

"Get out of this room!" Shikamaru yelled. "No one's allowed in this room!"

The girl stepped out of the room lightly. Shikamaru slammed the door behind her and locked it again. "How did you get in here?!"

The girl said nothing, but nodded towards the lock.

"You picked the lock!? How dare you! This thing is locked for a reason!" Shikamaru said angrily, storming off.

Yoshino ran up the stairs. "Shikamaru…." She said quietly. She turned to the girl. "You picked the lock? No one's been able to do that."

The girl smiled quietly. She then turned and walked off.

**-------------------------------------------------LATER------------------------------------------------**

"I'm home." Shikaku called, opening the door. He glanced around the kitchen. Shikamaru was nowhere to be seen. Yoshino was setting the dinner table. And the girl was sitting on one of the chairs, her knees tucked up and her arms around her knees. It was a strange position, but it seemed awfully familiar….

Shikaku gasped as he remembered. That was Keiko's favorite sitting position….!!

Dinner was unusually quiet. Shikamaru had refused to come out of his room. Yoshino just quietly ate her food and excused herself.

Shikaku sighed. He got up and retrieved a pad of paper and a pen. "Write." He commanded, handing the paper and pen to her.

_Yes? _She wrote.

"So you can write." Shikaku muttered. "What's your name?"

_Keiko. Keiko Nara._

**TO BE CONTINUED…..**

**I have no energy to write whatsoever. XD I'm sorry, but…..I just got whacked with a jump rope, so my brain's scrambled.**

**So it is Keiko! What other surprises are in store? It's far from over!**

**Read and review, please.**


	4. Yoshino Discovers

**Can Death Keep Her Away?**

**Chapter four**

**A/N: Hello everyone! Rishi is……back. Again. XD Right…I have nothing to say, so on with chapter four! It is four…..right….?**

"K-Keiko….." Shikaku looked at the notepad in disbelief. He had his suspicions, but the confirmation that this was his daughter was still astounding. He looked at Keiko in the eye, his own eyes brimming with tears.

The girl—Keiko—grinned. It was a genuine Keiko grin.

Shikaku stared at her for a moment, then brought her into an embrace.

Keiko just smiled as her father cried. She hugged him back….And smiled.

After a few moments, Shikaku pulled back. "Right…." He said slowly. "So." He began. "Where the hell have you been for these past five years?"

Keiko slowly wrote it down on the pad. Her writing had always been nearly illegible, so she took her time and wrote it all down clearly.

_That night…..I was kidnapped by rouge ninja. I didn't plan on being held there for so long._

Keiko then took back the pad, and wrote something else. She handed the pad back to her father.

_Dad…..I'm sorry. I must've caused you guys a lot of trouble. And now…I can't even tell anyone that I'm alive. My voice…It's gone._

Shikaku smiled. "Keiko," he began. "Keiko, you did cause us a hell lot of trouble. But I'm just happy you're back." He smiled. "Besides, Hokage-sama says that it's only temporary. You should have your voice back in about a week.

Keiko huffed. It was easy to see that she wanted her voice back, and now.

Shikaku chuckled. "You're still the same impatient knucklehead I knew back then."

Keiko stuck out her tongue, making the stupidest face she could muster. Shikaku laughed.

After Shikaku stopped laughing, he continued. "Listen. If you want your mother and Shikamaru to know so badly, why don't you _show_ them? Things that only _you_ could do. Things that only _you _know."

Keiko grinned and nodded. She jumped off the guestroom bed and ran out of the room, down the stairs, and into her parent's room.

Yoshino was sitting on the bed, looking through an old photo album.

Keiko sat down besides her.

Yoshino looked up in surprise. "Oh! I….I'm sorry." She said sheepishly, wiping her eyes quickly. "You see, today's the day my daughter…"

Yoshino stopped short. Keiko was hugging her mother. Yoshino was engulfed in many memories. Memories of fights….Of pain. Keiko had always know. Keiko….

Keiko had always hugged her mother when she was sad.

"Kei……ko…..?" Yoshino was astounded. Only her daughter would do something like this. "Keiko….It's you, Keiko, isn't it?"

Keiko looked up at her mother and smiled. It was a smile only a daughter could give to her mother.

Yoshino was engulfed in tears again. "Oh my God…." She whispered as Keiko rocked her mother. "Oh my God, Keiko…"

And so, they stayed like that the whole night, the daughter comforting her mother.

A/N: I felt like ending it on a sweet note. It wasn't that good. I know. It was short, and I waited forever to give it to you peoples. XD Review if you wish.

By the way…Keiko is seventeen in this story.


	5. Not the final chapter just yet!

**Chapter Five of Can Death Keep Her Away?**

**A/N: Doing my best to procrastinate on this….But failing…..So here it is:D**

**If anyone cares, there's a picture of Keiko on Rishi's site! XD Check it out if you please.**

**CHAPTER FIVE**.

Keiko and Yoshino stayed like that for a long time, Keiko gently rocking her mother as Yoshino softly sobbed, until finally, Yoshino fell asleep. Keiko gently lay Yoshino on the bed, covering her up. She kissed her mother on the cheek and quietly left the room.

Shikaku was standing outside the room as Keiko stepped out. He was smiling a bit. "Not much about you has changed." He said slowly. "Yeah….Not much at all has changed."

Keiko smiled.

"Right…..So, you better get some sleep." Shikaku said. "Bed. Now."

Keiko's eyes were big and tearing. She held up five fingers.

"No! Go to bed!"

Keiko sighed and heading to the living room, where her cot was.

Shikaku couldn't help but laugh. "Nothing has changed about you."

**------------------Next scene!!------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Shikamaru opened his eyes to early daylight. "It's morning." He muttered. "How troublesome….."

Suddenly, his door slammed open. Keiko, or as Shikamaru though, the girl, ran it and jumped on his bed, squishing Shikamaru to no end.

"Geh--?!"

Keiko smiled happily as she hugged Shikamaru. Shikamaru quickly pushed her away. "Stop---Get—Off me!" he yelled.

Keiko let go slowly. Her eyes were tearing.

"Don't give me that! Out of my room!" Shikamaru said irritably. "I have to go on missions now, so stay out of here!" he quickly pushed her out of the room and slammed his door behind him. He then stormed out.

Yoshino walked out of her room as Shikamaru stormed past. "Shika--!" She sighed as he slammed the front door. "Shikamaru…."

"He's stubborn." Shikaku said reassuringly. "He doesn't want to believe that it's really Keiko."

Keiko placed her hand on Yoshino's shoulder and nodded.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Shikamaru was in a bad mood as he headed away from his house. _Why the hell am I getting so irritated?! That girl's so damn troublesome…..Why does she want to give me false hopes?! Why does she pretend to be like Keiko-nee-chan was?!_ Shikamaru jumped away.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Keiko smiled at her mother and gave her It's-All-Good grin. Yoshino sighed. "I guess you're right…." She turned to Shikaku. "And if you plan on skipping out on missions, you have another thing coming." She tugged Shikaku's ear. "Missions. Now."

"Yeesh…..Right, right. Later, Keiko! Bye, honey." Shikaku said, kissing Yoshino's cheek and scuffling Keiko's hair. He then ran off.

Yoshino sighed. "Those two…." She turned to where Keiko was standing, only to find empty space. "K-Keiko-chan….?"

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Upstairs, Keiko quietly entered Shikamaru's room. She closed the door and let out a breath of excitement. She hadn't had this much fun in years…..!!

Keiko quickly scanned the room. Not here. She then dug into Shikamaru's drawers, tossing his clothes around. "Ah!" she exclaimed, holding up her prize…..Her old headband, perfectly preserved, her name still written on the cloth. Keiko smiled to herself. So he did keep it…..

Suddenly, the door crashed open. Shikamaru stood there, looking angry. "You…." He breathed. "Get away from that!" he yelled, smacking Keiko's hand and grabbing the headband. "Get out of here!"

Keiko kept her grip on the headband, refusing to let go.

"LET GO! LET GO!" Shikamaru screamed. But Keiko would not let go.

"Shikamaru! That's--!"

"Shut up, mom!" Shikamaru yelled. "It's your fault! You're the one—Who made her—Run away!"

_**SMACK**_

Shikamaru stood in disbelief. The girl had smacked him across the cheek. There was anger in Keiko's brown eyes. "Shi….ka……kun." she breathed. "How…..dare……you." Every syllable was labored.

Shikamaru looked in disbelief. "K-Keiko…..nee-chan….?"

**AND……Writers block has taken over. Huzzah.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter…..Shikamaru-kun is veeeery stubborned. XD**

The next chapter might be the last. Hope you enjoyed it!


	6. No title for this chapter

**CAN DEATH KEEP HER AWAY…..CHAPTER SIX.**

**A/N: ….yeah…….um…….Right:D Rishi's trying to do this……But Rishi's in a little writer's corner of doom……..So Rishi is trying her best! Please enjoy! **

**CDKHA chapter SIX. HURRAY.**

"K-keiko….nee-chan…..?!" Shikamaru looked at Keiko in disbelief. "That is…..You're….." Shikamaru's cheek was bright red, and it stung like hell.

Keiko glared at Shikamaru. "Don't……." her mouth forced the words open. "Ever……Say that to mom." With that, she turned, still clutching the headband. "She……Is…….The best……Mother…….Ever!" Keiko slowly walked out of the room. She then turned to her mother and smiled. Yoshino could see the tears streaming down Keiko's cheeks. "Mother….." Keiko then walked out of the room, out of the hallway, and then out of the door.

Yoshino turned to Shikamaru. "Shikamaru……That was Keiko." She said, tears forcing themselves to emerge. "You just……."

Shikamaru stared in disbelief. "That was her." He said, dumbfounded. He stood up. "That was Keiko-nee-chan." His legs felt numb, but he started walking towards the door. "Nee-chan….."

Yoshino stood next to Shikamaru. She couldn't find any words to say. "Shikamaru….."

Shikamaru started down the hallway. "I really messed up, didn't I?" He said aloud. He wasn't asking anyone, just saying it aloud. "I really messed up, and now she's pissed at me."

"Shikamaru……" Yoshino stood in place. "Keiko came back for you. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah."

"Don't you want to follow her?"

"I do." Shikamaru said. "But does she really want to see me now….?"

"You don't know until you try." Yoshino smiled. "But," She continued with a scrowl on her face. "If she disappears again, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Make that a 'yes ma'am!"

"Yes ma'am." Shikamaru said, walking out the door. "I'll do that."

**-------------------------AND WE GO TO KEIKO-------------------------------------------**

Keiko stood in an open field. She was watching the clouds roll by carelessly.

"I knew I would find you here."

Keiko turned. There stood Shikamaru. Keiko smiled. "Hey……Bro."

Shikamaru stood next to Keiko. "This was your favorite spot back then." He said. "Whenever you had a fight with Mom or Dad, you always came here….."

"Y-yeah." Keiko said. "I….did, didn't I?"

"Yeah. This is where you told me about the clouds."

"You still watch them?" Keiko turned to her younger brother.

"Actually," Shikamaru said, smiling. "Actually, I love to watch the clouds. You have no idea what kind of monster you've created."

"I have an idea…..A lazy monster."

Shikamaru laughed. "Yeah, yeah." He smiled. "I'm sorry, Onee-chan." He took Keiko's hand. "Can you forgive me?"

Keiko grinned. "Of course!" she said, squeezing her little brother in a bear hug. "I came back just to hug you!"

The two stood like that for a long time, Keiko hugging Shikamaru. The summer clouds rolled by without a care in the world. And the two siblings were finally reunited.

**IT'S NOT THE END YET! **

**Yup! I have one more chapter to go! Please review! I'm sorry for making you wait so long! Um….Right! See ya!**


	7. The End

CAN DEATH KEEP HER AWAY? Chapter seven

FINAL CHAPTER (I think…Eh-heh….)

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here's chapter seven!

It had been three days since Shikamaru and Keiko reunited. Things looked as if they would return to how they used to be—completely insane.

"Good morning, Shika-kun!" Keiko sang, jumping on top of Shikamaru, who, apparently, was still asleep.

Shikamaru groaned. "Gah…..Onee-chan, get the hell off of me……." He muttered. "And stop calling me 'Shika-kun' like I'm still a kid. I'm fourteen, and for the record, taller then you."

"Shut up, Shika-kun!" Keiko yelled, smacking Shikamaru's stomach. "So what?!" She tore the covers off her brother. "Get up, up, up, UUUUP!!" she cried, swinging the blanket as if it was a prized trophy.

Shikamaru sat up. "Stu--!" he cried, trying to grab the blanket back. "Give me that back!"

"Nyaaaaa!" Keiko yelled, running out of the room, Shikamaru running after her. "Mooooooooooooooommaaaaaaaa!! Get him awaaaaay from meeeeeee!!" she cried, hiding behind her mother, who was cooking breakfast.

Yoshino sighed. "You two are already at it again. Would you PLEASE stop fighting?!" Yoshino glared at the two. "I already dealt with this. You two haven't matured in the least!" she rubbed her forehead, as if all the energy she just had was gone. "Geez."

"But, mom, Shikamaru's yelling at me!" Keiko cried, pointing at Shikamaru.

"She took my blanket!"

"You threw it at me!"

"I did not!"

"STUPID SHIKA-KUN!" Keiko yelled, stretching Shikamaru's cheeks. "Obey your older sister, dammit!"

"Why should I?!"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO!" Keiko shot back. "Get dressed! Introduce me to your girlfriend! Her name's Ino-san, right?!"

"Wha—!?" Shikamaru's face turned red. "D—damn you, woman! You're reading through my journal again, aren't you?!"

"HELL YES!"

"Fine then! I'll hurry up!" Shikamaru stormed back into his room, slamming the door. He tore of his PJs and put on his chunin vest.

"Are you done yet?" Keiko's loud voice could be heard.

Shikamaru opened the door. "Yeah. Let's go."

And so the two walked, Keiko skipping and Shikamaru being dragged along. Keiko was smiling and greeting everyone on the street, even the people she didn't know. Most of the people either stared or smiled and said hello back. Shikamaru couldn't help smiling. _She hasn't changed at all._ He thought.

"So she's a Yamanaka, right?" Keiko turned to Shikamaru. "One of dad's old friend's daughters, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Here we are!" Keiko sang. The two stood in front of the Yamanaka flower shop. Keiko burst in. "Helloooooooo?" she sang.

"Hi! Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop! How can I help you?" Ino said from behind the counter. Ino smiled. "Well, you're a new face."

"Kyaa! Shika-kun, she's so CUTE!" Keiko exclaimed, glomping the Yamanaka girl. "I knew you had good taste!"

Shikamaru sighed as he walked in. "Hey, Ino." He said, waving his hand half-heartedly. "You remember how I told you my older sister was dead? Well, I lied. She's the person hugging you right now."

Ino looked at the girl in surprise. "You're Keiko-san?"

"Nyaa, don't call me that! Call me Onee-chan!" Keiko said cheerfully. "It's a long story, but I'm alive!"

"Wow…." Ino was astonished.

**And so, since the author can't find a good enough ending, they lived happily ever after. THE END. Please review!**


End file.
